Heartbeat
by Valiess Wisternshield
Summary: A hot, uncomfortable day. The company stumbles upon a lake they would stay for the night. Among their frolicking Bilbo notices Thorin's wounds, and their bond gets stronger. WIP. Thilbo, pre-slash.
1. Chapter 1

Hello! Thank you 3 people for the amazing reviews you left me I am currently working on part two of YVBML and so here is a thing to keep you from straying~ I hope you enjoy!  
There will also be continuations to this story.  
re: wohohohoa sorry my computer seems to have eaten the quotation marks. Fixed now :3  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A ways ahead, Kili smiled and murmured something to Thorin excitedly, his hair and clothes were soaked to the bone, despite the fact that it was quite warm even for a summer s day, and not a cloud was in the sky.

Everyone was complaining about it, also.

Bilbo sighed and let go of his pony s reigns just a little as he entered a daydream.

A little while later they came across a clearing, A waterfall that led to a cave, the water so clear you could see the fish darting about in the cold.

Kili rushed back in the water with a playful yell, splashing Fili with all his might.

Bilbo smiled and got off his pony with a small thump. Leading Mary to the healthy grass to the side, before stripping to his undergarments, like the others were. He shyly stepped into the water, walking to the waterfall and standing underneath it.

Thorin looked over to the hobbit in the waterfall, and let out a small chuckle. Despite the halfling s small frame, he had built up some muscle during their trip so far. He felt warmth in his chest but ignored it; he will not show weakness.

Thorin crept into the water himself, receiving a face full of water from Kili.

Bilbo turned around and smiled at the sight of the prince in a good muse. He looked so much lighter, younger, even.

The halfling went over to the shore, lying down and looking at the sun. Only his torso showed, as his hips and lower were submerged. He shut his eyes and smiled. Everything was at peace.

Thorin was pleased no one had seen the whiplashes on his back, as he didn't want the moment to be ruined. He looked over and was almost breath taken by the halfling,the sun letting down an orange beam down from the west; illuminating the hobbit's chest and face. Beautiful. He whispered.  
After awhile the dwarf walked over and lay next to the halfling silently, shutting his eyes also.

All sound seemed to disappear, just him and the halfling.

Awhile later, Bilbo finally opened his eyes, as it was getting rather cold out, and the water was starting to freeze his legs.

He looked over to see Thorin staring up into the night sky..smiling?

Bilbo smiled with him and looked into the sky himself.

All was at peace, atleast for the moment.

Each knew the other was awake, and they remained in comfortable quiet.  
It was Bilbo who broke the silence.  
"Thorin?"  
"Yes, my burglar."  
"It's getting cold. May I suggest we make camp?"  
"Alright." Thorin gave a curt nod and told the others to make camp with a gentle but firm voice.  
Bilbo got up, shaking from the cold. He got his clothes on quickly as most of him was already dry from the wind.

He turned around, Thorin had put his trousers and boots back on, but he remained shirtless. The hobbit noticed long, thick lines slithering down the dwarf's back.  
"Thorin, your back." Bilbo whispered to him calmly.  
"I feel no pain, hobbit. No need to fret." Thorin lied as he clenched his teeth.  
Bilbo put a hand on his shoulder, nowhere near the lashes, and cringed as Thorin yelped. "I think you're more hurt than you re letting on". He smiled sadly. "C'mon, let me take care of it." Thorin couldn't argue and followed Bilbo to a set of rocks, nodding and letting himself on the smaller boulder, seeing out the corner of his eye the burglar getting handed bandages and ointment from Balin.  
The dwarf flinched and bit his lip to not cry out again, knowing the halfling was doing his best to be gentle.  
The hobbit did not notice until he was almost done that he was crying silently at how the dwarf was shaking, he was rather fond of the prince, and it killed him to see Thorin hurt. He wiped away his tears but they kept going as he wrapped the bandages around Thorin s torso, his hands trembling. "Ok, finished." Bilbo said with a shaky voice.  
Thorin turned around and noticed the tears streaming down the halfling's cheeks.  
"Bilbo, it's alright." He pulled the halfling into a tight embrace, managing to stifle the halfling's sob. "  
I m alright."  
The camp went silent and listened to Thorin trying to get Bilbo to stop crying, it was different from his usual sense usually the dwarf would yell at him or call him weak for crying, but he wasn't. His arms were protectively around Bilbo's small frame, saying things to him under his breath. The company went back to doing what they were doing, making food by the fire or trying to get some of the fish in the lake. Bilbo eventually got hold of himself and stopped crying. "Sorry." He mumbled to Thorin.  
"It's alright, Burglar."  
Bilbo nodded and smiled, then joined the others to help make dinner.


	2. Chapter 2

Hello! thank you for the support, this has a hint of Dwalin-Ori, but just a little.  
there will be quite a show in the next chapter, but it will end well ;) enjoy!

Later that evening, after it had gotten dark and the fire had gone to its embers, it was time for rest.

Thorin told the others he would be taking watch that night; as he had a lot to think about.

Swinging up into a tree and sitting along a long, thick branch, he rested his back on the trunk, at first grinding his teeth together and shutting his eyes, as it hurt rather badly at first, but the pain gradually went away and from above he glanced at the others below, nestling into their bedrolls, and Dwalin kissing Ori on the forehead quickly before they settled into their blankets, not far from each other. Thorin payed no mind to this, and kept watch of the forest path near the lake.

His eyes eventually settled on the dark, comfortable red glow from the fire, his thoughts finally clouding his vision.

_What was that I felt while the hobbit had helped him?_  
_Why wouldn't his image disappear from my mind?_  
_Leaders aren't supposed to feel such things for others, let alone one of a __**different species.  
**_  
Movement from the corner of his eye let him escape from confronting himself about this; he noticed the movement was coming from Bilbo, he was shaking..  
It was the best he could do not to bolt out of the tree when a small, terrified whimper escaped the halfling's lips.

Thorin watched Bilbo carefully for awhile, noticing the trembles were getting bigger.

Bilbo woke with a small gasp, his eyes wide open with fear, a cold sheen of sweat on his face. He got up from his bedroll and walked to a rock that jutted near the lake, on top of the water so legs could dangle without getting wet, sitting down and burying his face into his hands.  
"God dammit." The hobbit muttered just loud enough to reach the prince's ears.

Silently, the dwarf left the tree and walked over to the halfling, then stood behind him.  
"Nightmares?"

Bilbo cringed at the first note of the prince's voice, biting back a yelp.  
"I suppose." he murmured.

Thorin sat next to him quietly, taking off his furs first and putting them on the hobbit's shoulders.

Bilbo looked up into Thorin's eyes, innocent yet having hints of something more, mumbling a thanks and flinching once more when Thorin wrapped his arm around his shoulder, it comforted him, yet it also confused him, as the dwarf was usually isolated, cold. He found himself leaning in and shutting his eyes, the cold darkness that was in his dreams slowly fading away.

Thorin noticed Bilbo had gone to sleep in his arms, He looked down and smiled.  
The dwarf kissed the hobbit gently on the forehead before going back to watching the lake.

*********  
The morning came quickly, and the dwarves were awake within the first few hours of sunrise.

Bilbo opened his eyes, looking up at Thorin and smiling. "Good morning, I didn't mean to fall asleep on you." He chuckled, hiding his embarrassment.

"It's alright, Bilbo." the dwarf smiled back.

Bilbo got up and gave the cloak back to Thorin, and went off to help the others.

A great sadness washed over the prince's emotions, the fatigue under his eyes taking over his grimace, making him unable to regain his cool,unreadable face as a single tear washed down his cheek. Why? He did not know.  
He quickly got himself together before anyone noticed and with a swift swipe to his cheek it was like nothing had happened. He got up.  
"I'm going to look ahead."  
"Alright." Bilbo said, answering Thorin before anyone else could.

Thorin seemed to be escaping something as well as he left the clearing.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm sorry that I always add dark things to my writing..but it always ends well, if that helps..  
Forgive me if I make you cry on this one, but there will be a good ending!  
In the next chapter...anyways...  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thorin was walking along quietly,alone, in silence. He noticed the sky had gotten dark, he hoped the others had gone into the cave besides the waterfall in front of it, so they wouldn't get rained on.

He considered going back when he noticed the cold, silent eeriness of the forest. A shiver ran down his spine, something bad was about to happen.

He had his hand on the hilt of his sword but wasn't quick enough to unsheathe it before the Orcs ran down on him.

He yelled and quickly beheaded the first, but not before getting a slash on one of his cheekbones. He got a few others but being very outnumbered they overtook him.  
In a blur the prince found himself pinned to the ground and getting slashed on his arms, face, and chest, and feeling several of his ribs cracking. He yelled out, but it was in vain, the dwarf knew fairly well he was out of earshot of the other dwarves. It also made the Orcs cackle and hurt him all the more. He felt the darkness crowd into the corners of his eyes, he was to tired to fight, but he tried. So, he let them break his bones and slice his skin. He couldn't do anything about it.  
Sound escaped from his ears, his sight darkened and faded away.

Thorin accepted that he was going to die.

He felt his tears softly rolling down his cheeks and the soft patter of them hitting the ground. He felt the Orcs picking him up.  
_Oh god.  
Atleast let me die here. Not in some dungeon of sorts._

He felt himself getting dropped, then the cold stab of stones and water reaching his wounds.

He felt himself drifting slowly away.

After what felt like days to him, he opened his eyes softly, he was going down a stream. He grabbed hold of a rock on the side and stood up, biting his lip hard at the pain, but immediately collapsing with a yelp. He ended up crawling out, leaning against a convenient boulder to stand. He stumbled forward and limped towards the lake.

The others were murmuring to each other worryingly. It had been more than a day since Thorin had left, and the dwarves were starting to think either their leader had abandoned them or if he was dead.

When the rain had started to fall they had gone into the cave, running through the waterfall and into the warm dark.

Bilbo had huddled into the back of the cave, his thoughts crowding his mind.

After much mutters and the loud cackles of the flame he couldn't stand to just sit there. The hobbit stood up and swiftly left the cave, much to the others complaint to him leaving, that he could get lost or hurt. He remained silent.

Thorin was walking, clenching his teeth,the rain getting into his eyes and soaking his clothes to the bone, growling once every so often in pain. He tripped over a rock and screamed in frustration and hurt.

"Thorin?" Bilbo had heard and started to run towards the sound.

Thorin tried, but he couldn't get up, part of that being the mud's' fault.  
He couldn't do a thing as he watched his blood mix with the dirt.

Bilbo ran up to Thorin. "Thorin.." Panic started to take over, being as gentle as he could, he flipped Thorin to his front. Another panicked yell escaped the dwarf's lips, making Bilbo's fear heighten.  
"Thorin…shh it's alright you'll be okay." He whispered.  
With much struggle, the hobbit managed to pick the dwarf up, his knees buckling at first, but from much walking and running he had just enough strength.

He gently carried the dwarf back to the cave.


	4. Chapter 4

Soaked, tired, scared, angry, and covered in blood, Bilbo entered the warm, dry cavern holding a bleeding, unconscious Thorin.

The others stared, shocked, as Bilbo proceeded to the back of the cave, spreading out two bedrolls, one dirty and one clean, laying Thorin on the dirty one first then taking furs out of one of the packs still residing on his pony.

The others knew full well what Bilbo was about to do, and quickly returned to whatever they were doing.

Bilbo took the dwarf's armor in his nimble fingers, unlacing them, throwing each plate into a pile which was now staining the sand floor red with blood. It took awhile, as Thorin had many layers, to finally get him shirtless. There was one deep, thick slash across his broad chest, covered in dark curls of chest hair, a stab wound above his appendix, and all down his left side was a vertical wound. It wasn't deep but it bled the most, sending a sheet of red all across Thorin's stomach.

He knew he had to take off all the dwarf's clothes so he stayed warm and didn't get sick, but he was still a bit hesitant about taking off the prince's trousers.

Yet he had to, and did so. He thanked Dalireen* that the dwarf had bathed yesterday, and so taking off his boots and everything else didn't smell as bad as it could have.

He left the underwear on, he wanted to wait as long as possible until he had to take that off, also. He looked over to find that Balin had left the medical kit next to him, and mentally thanked him for that. He took sutures, a needle, and what little bandages they had and quickly got to work, starting on the wound across his chest. Thorin, whom was breathing but his eyes stayed shut, whimpered a little as the needle pierced his skin. Bilbo cringed at the noise, but kept working. It took some time, wrapping the laceration with bandages slowly and delicately. Then he got to the one down his side, another whimper. Some of his ribs must be broken. As he finished the final wound, he picked the dwarf off the dirty sheets, now soaked with both rain and blood, and lay him on the clean bedroll, his black, stained with white hair splaying out under his head. Color went all the way to the hobbit's ears down to his chest as he rolled off the dwarf's under-wrappings.

Well, He certainly was well-endowed.

Bilbo quickly threw one layer of furs over the dwarf, then the other, gently tucking it in under Thorin's arms and pressing a gentle kiss to the dwarf's forehead. He left one of the prince's tunics, along with soft papery trousers close to the dwarf for when he woke. The hobbit felt exhausted and himself not only soaked from the rain but now covered in Thorin's blood, felt himself shiver. He knew he needed to wash off the blood before he could change, so He regretfully walked back out of the hollow, into the pouring rain which was threatening to turn into snow.

* * *

The others got restless.  
Ori had knit a scarf, two sets of gloves, and was now writing feverishly into his journal since Bilbo had gotten back. Nori and Dori were talking off in the corner, Dori sometimes sending worried glanced towards Ori. Dwalin and Gloin were also conversing, cleaning the Orc blood off their weapons, as well as sharpening them. Balin was talking to Bifur in Khuzdul, trying to calm him down as the dwarf was signing frantically. He held a small book in his hands, probably intending to read it. Bofur seemed to be somewhere else, his eyes distant, probably in some deep thought. He held a chunk of half-carved wood and a knife in his crossed lap. Bombur had taken out what little they had for food and started to cook it. Oin was reading a book near the fire, he was silent but worry was obviously on his mind. But the two taking this the worst was Fili, and Kili. They were in the shadows in the way back of the hollow, so they could be to blonde dwarf had his arms wrapped around the younger, both their eyes rimmed with red. Kili, having taken this the worst, was still racking in sobs and Fili was holding him, the young dwarf's face buried in the heir's shoulder, and Fili was murmuring calming words to the trembling dwarf.

* * *

Bilbo felt the burn set into his eyes, you know, the feeling you get when you're on the verge of tears. He refused to be a pansy, so he blinked the feeling away. The water was freezing him, and he couldn't feel the tips of his ears nor his fingers or toes, so he stepped back inside the cave, as the blood had been washed away. He found close to the front of the cavern, an entrance that led to a small room. It was strangely warmer than the back of the cavern, and it sent a tingly feeling up the hobbit's arms, but it was cozy, and so Bilbo left the area, got clean, dry clothing and went back to the comfortable alcove.

After he was changed, put all his wet clothes into a messy pile, to take care of later, but he stayed in the room, sitting down in one of the stony corners. He felt himself slowly dosing off in the warmth, and didn't fight against it.

Thorin woke sometime later, gasping for air. Everything was blurry, he didn't know where he was, and it just felt too safe. Of course he freaked out.

He tried to sit up, but that failed as it hurt to much. He resorted to screaming curses into the air.

Dwalin rushed over to him, he being one of Thorin's closest friends he would recognize the battle-scarred dwarf.

"Aye, Thorin. Yer safe. It's alright." Dwalin said in a calm voice, gently putting his hand on the prince's shoulder.

Thorin looked up at the dwarf, recognition sliding over his face.

"How did I get here." Thorin rumbled. He had forgotten everything past getting thrown into the river.

"Bilbo went out, found you, carried you back, and tended to your wounds."

Thorin nodded. He noticed he didn't feel the familiar scratch of clothing over his skin, and lifted the covers to see why.

Slamming the blankets back down quickly, he looked at the clothing next to him. Dwalin nodded and went back to his weapons beside Gloin.

Hoping the others couldn't see him, he slipped quietly out of the blankets and reached for the clothing, taking the trousers first and putting those on with haste. His torso still hurt, so when he put on the flannel he kept it unbuttoned. Not that any of the dwarves would mind.

He staggered towards the entrance of the cavern, some of the dwarves looking at him cautiously, to see him look to the side, finding a hole in the wall, and him to walk into it, slipping away from their view. Looking around the stone corner, he saw Bilbo, leaning to the right, slumped against the rock, his eyes shut and his frown gone. He smiled and was going to wake the halfling up when he noticed how peaceful the shireling's face was. On a grim journey, with such horrible weather, and the relief of not being dead, a kind of happiness grew in his chest. It wasn't, though. Then he understood what the feeling was. With a bitter smile, he left the alcove. The prince looked for his coat, and finding it he lifted it onto his shoulders, buttoning it, and finding his soaked shoes and a pair of dry foot-wrappings, he gruffly put them on and left the hollow, but not before the others started to complain.

"Thorin, where do ye think yer goin?"

The kind, heavily accented voice came from the corner, behind him. He recognized the voice after many conversations.

"Out, Bofur." His tone was gruff and final. Sighing, the toy-maker gave up his argument, But the others were more stubborn.

"Ye can't, Thorin. It's pissin rain out there an yer hurt." Dwalin pointed out with a gruffer voice.

Thorin, more stubborn than most, simply huffed in response and was gone.

Dwalin got up to go after the prince but Balin held him back.

"Let him, laddie. He will come back soon."

* * *

Okay sorry this took so long. Bleh I m bad at writing. I'm going to start a new story now, so expect further delay on the other stories.

* - Hobbit godess

The computer ate my quotation marks again so sorry if theres a missing " or '

Enjoy!

If you can, leave ideas for me to write about.


	5. Hallucinations

Bilbo woke, startled by the sudden sound of a splash outside.  
Peeking outside, he saw the weather was still miserable, rain dropping from the milky white sky, to the east the clouds were a darker grey; The hobbit expected another wave of treachery.

Apparently Ori had gone outside and then had fallen into the icy water, and Bilbo felt cold just by looking at him.

The scribe sat there for a moment, stunned, the frigid water already biting into his bones. Being mature, instead of jumping out of the water he calmly got up, despite his brother fawning over him like he was a kitten that fell in the sink, he quietly got a towel and a clean, dry set of clothes. His armor would dry off. He shooed his brothers away and left to the back of the cave, no one was there save Thorin had gone off to brood again.

Speaking of Thorin, _where the hell was that git_ Bilbo thought. The prince was still healing, and if he got in trouble again the hobbit swore he was going to sedate that blasted dwarf.

The halfling gathered his coat and set out to find him.

* * *

Thorin stared at the tree blankly, his eyes going in and out of focus.  
But in his mind, the tree _wasn't a tree_.  
_It was Azog._  
Thorin was wordless, paralyzed. He was weaponless, and utterly scared.  
and that's when he started screaming.

Bilbo started hearing someones terrified scream further ahead.

Screams that he had grown familiar to.

Running, occasionally stumbling in the slippery mud, and jumping over fallen sticks and large stone, the halfling didn't remember a time he had run so fast.

Thorin had fallen back, scrambling to get away from what Bilbo saw was a tree, a pool of blood surrounding him.

_He fecking opened up his stitches again._

"Thorin wha-" Bilbo started to say, very annoyed.

"NO! GET AWAY, HE'LL KILL YOU!" Thorin yelled, the prince was crying, and this worried the hobbit.

"Who'll kill me, Thorin?" Bilbo asked, his voice calm. He didn't want to upset the poor dwarf.

"He will!" Thorin gestured wildly to the tree.

"Thorin-" Bilbo tried to continue.

"YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD." Thorin shrieked at nothing.

"Thorin. Calm down." Bilbo approached the hallucinating prince; he must still be in shock.

"Bilbo n-no" Thorin was sobbing, this was too real, how could Bilbo be so calm when the both of them would surely be dead by morrow.

"Thorin it's okay." Bilbo hummed, taking one of Thorin's hands in his, and the other firmly pressed on the dwarf's chest.

Thorin needed to be still, especially if he was going to descend into a panic attack, Bilbo feared.

Thorin lowered his head back, staring into the sky, emotions Bilbo knew the dwarf didn't feel pass over the prince's face.  
The tears still fell freely from his cheeks, he was trembling, stiff, the scared look remaining in his eyes.  
Thorin started yelling again, seeing something in the sky that wasn't there.

Bilbo looked around, he needed to take Thorin somewhere dry to calm him down. The cave where the others resided was too far way.

He saw a dip in the rocks facing ahead of them. The hobbit scooped Thorin gently in his arms, eliciting another cry of more than just fear, pain.

He cringed, feeling tears pricking at his own eyes.

He never wanted to see Thorin like this.

The dip had turned out to be a shelf in the rockface, churning into deep room, a nice place to remain for a moment.

Bilbo lay Thorin down, The cold dwarf's tears had stopped falling but some still remained on his cheeks, an all-too-distant look in his eyes.

"Okay, Thorin, are you-" Bilbo was cut off, yet again.

"N..no..not you.." the dwarf whimpered.

Bilbo remained silent, waiting for more clues on just what Thorin was seeing.

Thorin backed into the other corner of the alcove, trying to get away, it seems. "Not you..please..no.."

Thorin's eyes, rimmed with red, grew angry, enraged.

The prince charged for Bilbo, throwing his fist forward, Bilbo dodging by just inches.

"Thorin-"

"Don't you dare say my name, you..you ANIMAL."

Thorin flew forward, slapping Bilbo on the cheek, hard.

He was knocked to the floor, he felt blood quickly filling his mouth.

Bilbo scrambled forward, trying to get Thorin under his grasp so he could calm down the dwarf, but it was quite the other way around.

Thorin loomed above him, his eyes murderous. "Tell me one reason I shouldn't kill you, scum."

"Thorin." Bilbo whimpered. "It's me, It's your Bilbo..."

There seemed to be some recognition in his eyes.

"Remember me?"

There was silence.

"please remember me."

Thorin looked down, he had come back to his senses. His arms trembled as if he was straining to hold himself up over Bilbo.

"I am so sorry Bilbo." Thorin's voice shook, trembling tears falling once again. He rolled to the hobbit's side, grinding in his teeth as he took in the pain from his re-opened  
wounds. "I'm sorry." he repeated, his normal, sure, stubborn vocals now a broken, trembling whisper.

"It is okay, you were hallucinating because-"

"I hurt you, hobbit. There is no excuse for that."

"Thorin-"

"What if they get worse-"

"THORIN OAKENSHIELD listen to me!"

Stunned silence.

"You have managed to get yourself hurt again. You are badly enough injured to catch your death, never mind the fact you are soaked to the bone, and I have no medical materials on me!"

Guilty quiet.

"And I'll be damned. You have your demons from the past haunting you, as I have mine. Yes, they occasionally take over! and you know what? It wasn't your fault, because you are just like everyone else on this damned journey. They lost their home, as have you. Everyone loses control once in awhile, injured or not. In your case, you were in such a bad physical state your emotional state faltered. Yes, I will have a bruise on my cheek, yes I taste blood. But I will live. And I swear to god you don't let me heal you or let yourself let go then...then..."

Bilbo sighed. "Are you okay now?"

"I still feel strange, like I'm on the side of a cliff."

Bilbo was quiet for a moment. "Lie down."

Thorin did so.

"I need to look at the wounds."  
Bilbo worked at the many assorted buckles on the dwarf's coat. Thorin went rigid for a moment,then relaxed again.  
The bandages were soaked, Bilbo's fear was getting more realistic.  
Ripping open the bandages confirmed.  
The only one that had opened was the one across his chest, the biggest one and to close to his heart for comfort.

It was red, angry, you could see his veins on his now- pale skin, bruises just starting to form, blood already dripping down. Thorin looked ghostly white.

Bilbo felt fear well up in his chest. With With no medical materials, and no way they were within earshot or walking distance to the other cave, Bilbo had to use whatever he could find.

"Thorin, you need to stay awake, I'm going to look outside for a moment."

The dwarf simply nodded, looking tired, old and worn.

Bilbo only stuck his head outside the small cavern, looking for any herbs that he could use surrounding the entrance.

He found cayenne leaves, the only herb he knew that could stave off infection and stop the bleeding. He took what little there was of it and headed back inside.

He used two rocks to mash the herb as Thorin watched, his gaze shifting farther and farther away.

Bilbo put the mashed plant on the wound, took off his coat and undershirt, did his best to rip it so he could make a torquinet, much to Thorin's objections.

"That's your shirt" The prince argued.

"Shut it." Bilbo murmured softly. Thorin did as he was told.

Once the white fabric was wrapped around his chest, Thorin looked like he was barely holding on.

"I need water." He whispered, before shutting his eyes.

"Thorin...THORIN STAY AWAKE." Bilbo practically yelled, and even to that it took a few moments for the dwarf to jolt awake.

"I'm tired, Bilbo. Can't I sleep?"

Bilbo whimpered. He couldn't leave Thorin, but he needed to get him water.

"You need to stay awake. You know what happens when those who are wounded fall asleep."

"But I'm not-"

"Yes, you are. Stay awake and I'll get water."

Thorin looked up at the ceiling, his eyes wide open.

Bilbo left and vowed to get back as quickly as possible.

* * *

The wait alone was killing him.

Thorin was doing his best to stay awake, Bilbo seemed quite stubborn on the subject that he could not sleep. Yet the dim light in the cave and the warmth surrounding him drove him closer downwards.

His throat burned, his tongue dry.

What was it Bilbo left for again? He couldn't remember.

But The hobbit had just told him.

It was all a very confusing subject.

The dwarf's eyelids were growing heavier, the seconds slipping by like years.

Thorin noticed his head hurt. Badly.

Each beat of his heart sent another wave of pain to his temples, a blunt piercing feeling.

Why couldn't he just sleep?

* * *

Bilbo was having no such luck.

His main problem was he couldn't find a container of any sort to hold water in. Of course, there was water everywhere. Falling from the sky, in the river little ways ahead. Each moment he got more scared.

The leaves seemed accumulated, every broad leaf he saw was sturdy and held water, the logs on the forest floor held holes in them which were overflowing with rain.

_Wait._

Bilbo found the biggest leaf he could find, holding it in both his arms he walked gingerly back to the cave.

* * *

Thorin was daydreaming, so to speak.

"Why is it so shiny in here?" He asked.

"I don't know, Thorin." Bilbo simply followed along gently, before kneeling next to the delirious dwarf.

"I have water." The hobbit mentioned towards him, lifting the leaf up to Thorin's parched lips and tipping it upwards slightly so a small trickle fell into the prince's mouth.

Thorin seemed a small bit more energetic once the liquid slipped down his throat. He could only drink so much, though, before looking back up at Bilbo that told him he was okay.

Bilbo put the leaf aside softly, never breaking eye contact with him.

There was a nice, quiet moment.

Thorin was going to be okay.

* * *

When Bilbo woke up the next morning, he realised Thorin had retrieved his cloak from where it had been tossed and had been tucked over the both of them, his arms wrapped firmly around the hobbit, their chests pressed against eatchothers'.

Maybe it was his way of saying sorry?

However, it was very warm, and very comfortable. He didn't want to move, and Thorin was breathing properly and not rasping, and looking down the fabric on the prince's chest had not been entirely bled through yet, he could afford to stay there for another few moments.

Thorin opened his eyes softly;  
He looked down, seeing Bilbo's face pressed gently against his chest, humming quietly, almost silent, The prince had to strain his ears just to hear him.

It was a dense song. It had it's high moments, it's low moments, and it sounded familiar.

_Then he knew._  
_The pines were roaring,_  
_on the height,_  
_the winds were moaning,_  
_in the night._  
_The fire was red._  
_It, flaming, spread._  
_The trees like torches,_  
_Blazed with light._

It was part of what little they had sung at the hobbit's strange house.

Only when Bilbo looked up at him with those eyes of his, That he realized he had murmured the last words along with him.

It was then for several moments they remained, their eyes locked together.

Blue to brown, ice to earth, water to dust.

"I ought to look outside." Bilbo murmured, sliding up from where he was to kiss Thorin gently on the forehead, then untangling himself from the prince and the cloak, regretfully.

The cold bit him quickly, tearing into his flesh and sinking into his bones, giving him a tiny tremble at first.

He couldn't seem to find his coat either, so that plus the fact his trousers only went mid-shin and the fact they were thin all added up quickly, and all Bilbo wanted was to curl back up against Thorin and his warm coat and fall back into oblivion.

The snow swept him away from such thoughts though, as the beauty of it was intriguing.

It was all very blinding at first, the white brighter than the dim of the back of the shelf. Once his eyes adjusted, he drank in the picture.

Snow blanketed the forest floor, a shimmering leaf here or there, the trees bare yet decorated with small white bits of light. The wind was flicking bits off the shimmering surface, flakes drifting softly in the air, adding on to the white already falling from the sky.

He was too fixed on the scene to notice Thorin approach him, therefore jumping when the dwarf put a hand on his shoulder.

The prince looked at him, a small smile on his face as he returned the kiss he had gotten earlier from the hobbit, his lips lingering a bit longer on Bilbo's forehead as when the halfling had, but that didn't really matter did it?

"Should we head back to camp?" Thorin suggested.

"Are you sure we can? Yesterday you were pretty...deranged." Bilbo spoke back softly.

Thorin cringed slightly, remembering when he had hurt the hobbit. He looked over to the cheek he had smote, finding a bruise start to form. The prince felt a wave of guilt wash over him.

Bilbo's eyes grew concerned as the prince looked down, unsure of his troubles.

"I did not mean to upset you, Thorin"

Thorin smiled and looked back up at the hobbit, tugging him into a light embrace.

"I am not upset, my dear burglar."

He pulled away, getting his cloak and shrugging it onto his shoulders, thinking for a moment, then shrugging it back off.

Bilbo shot him a confused look. "Wearing it is easier than carrying it-"

He was interrupted by the prince gently lowering it over Bilbo's shoulders.

"You need it more than I do at the moment, you did tear up your shirt for me, after all." Thorin murmured.

"But I have my own!" The hobbit protested, holding up his just-retrieved excuse for a coat. At the beginning it had been an extravagant jacket, but then it had still been only meant for a fancy Sunday or going shopping. Now it had been torn up,some of the buttons ripped off, and covered with dirt and probably troll bogies.

Thorin was quiet for a moment, then breaking out into a smile and eventually a growing chuckle. "That, is a bad excuse for a coat."

"Well" Bilbo sputtered, color spreading to his cheeks, but he was laughing too. "It didn't go on an adventure or anything."

"Of course it didn't" Thorin responded with a smile.

They set out, the prince's cloak wrapped firmly around Bilbo's shoulders.

Thorin stumbled a few times, and that always ended with Bilbo asking repeatedly if they need to turn back or stop for a moment, with the prince always saying no, that he was fine, and it was just because his wound was still open and he felt lightheaded only for a moment.

Bilbo always cringed when he said that.

As they were just reaching the lake, Thorin stopped, his eyes wide open,scared, his legs shaking.

"Thorin?"

"I...I can't.." grunted Thorin, hunched over, holding his stomach.

Bilbo stepped over to the prince quietly, holding the princes shoulders, pressing his forehead to the dwarf's.

"I'll help you then." the hobbit murmured.

Thorin groaned, the pain in his chest finally taking over other senses.

Bilbo wrapped one arm around Thorin's shoulders, taking the prince's arm and putting it on the hobbit's shoulder, holding the hand that gripped the cloak in pain.

"Take a step forward." Bilbo commanded in a gentle but firm voice.

Thorin did so, his breath shuddering.

"Okay. We have a plan." Bilbo murmured.

And so they walked the rest of the way, one step at a time, until they reached the cave.

At the entrance, Thorin collapsed, sobbing in frustration because his movements were restricted.

Dwalin quickly rose, shaking his hands towards the others whom had started to get up also. He scooped the prince into his arms and carried him to the back of the cave.

Bilbo got out the bandages, giving them to Oin. The old dwarf understood, and wandered to the back of the cave with sutures and a needle, along with the kit of herbs and ointments. Bilbo needed his time for a moment.

He went to the alcove he had slept in earlier, standing there for a moment, covering his eyes with one hand as he breathed, trying to get his emotions to stabilize.

He slid his back down the cool stone, fatigue from the stress overwhelming him.

He fell into a deep sleep.


End file.
